Banksy
The, seasonally, somewhat dormant, Sečovlje Saltpans viewed from above. Our final destination for this Istrian tour is across that bay |
Piran can be seen as a diminutive Venice and it makes sense, considering it was an outpost of the Venetian Republic for so long. Like most Adriatic coastal settlements, Piran spent most of its history controlled by the chief magistrates (doges) of Venice, and has the ornate Baroque architecture to match, especially around the marbled Tartini Square. Streets like Via Karl Marx and Via Lenin, however, belie Slovenia’s communist past. Thankfully, Piran’s overall calm feels a world away from the mayhem of nearby Venice, the city I will be traversing tomorrow, on may way to Bilbao and the Basque Country.
Piran was a center for the gathering of sea salt since
the time of the Roman Empire, when it was such a valuable commodity as a flavor
enhancer or a preserver of meat. Salt,
at times, was used as currency – and where the word salary comes from. For centuries, the Northern Adriatic saltpans
had a great impact on the economy of that region. They were often the subject
of political disputes and wars since salt was a valuable raw material as well
as a strategic commodity, important for canning food as well as the production of
gunpowder.
The first record of salt production is in 804 CE when
there were several small saltpans owned by monasteries in Piran. Active since
the 13th century, the Sečovlje Saltpans now produce salt in order to
preserve natural and culture heritage as well. In these northernmost
Mediterranean saltpans, salt is still produced traditionally, with classical
methods and wooden tools, which is the reason why this salt has retained its
very special taste and exceptional characteristics.
That's one way to keep small dinghies out of the water Often seen along the Istrian Coast |
Windy day on the Adriatic Sea, drying old nets |
Buoys stashed in so many locations |
A branch, some red netting |
Birds leaving their mark on concrete pier |
Buckets of fishing nets and ropes |
View of Sečovlje Saltpans from below Off-season |
The saltpans primary role were originally economic,
but has since been replaced by cultural and ecological ones. Today, the
saltpans are a preserver of cultural heritage and, most of all, a nature
protection area, as they provide an exceptional living environment for
fascinating halophytes and animal species that have succeeded in adapting to
extreme salinity.
Today, people harvest salt using a 700 year old method
– they use wooden tools and look after the so-called petola, the microorganism
as well as mineral-rich base of the saltpans that functions as a biofilter.
That ensures that the salt doesn’t mix with silt from the sea, and allows it to
remain white, clean and uncontaminated
At no stage of the salt formation is a machine
present, only nature and humans using the force of their bodies. Salt is
harvested every other day. From the beginning to the end of the season, the
salt workers (solinari) must be present in the field every day, all day long.
Work takes place from early morning to late evening hours, and sometimes salt
is collected while wearing a miner’s headlamp.
The solinari are in charge of their own salt basins, for
which they feel a special bond. Each solinari is assigned a series of six
identically sized saltpans. They care
for them as they would care for their own garden at home.
‘Every
morning I look at the sky first and listen to the wind.
It
may sound strange, but it is crucial for the work in the saltpans.’
Osman, experienced Piran solinaro
Salt is made thanks to consistent evaporation and
crystallization in each basin. Seawater is led from evaporation to
crystallization basins according to the principle of gravitation. The water must touch the basin several times
a day, be stirred, its water levels monitored, basins cleaned, and more.
On average, the saltpan season lasts from June to the middle of September, but the solinari take care of their
basins during the whole year. ‘You have to love this job, otherwise you
would not endure the sun,’ says Osman with a smile. For the workers, the sun is both the hand
that feeds and the hand that punishes, as their reliance on sunlight and solar
warmth means they can often work in temperatures exceeding 104°F (40°C). To help combat the heat, they dress in
white.
For every pound of salt, the solinari manually move it
three times – first, the salt must be gathered at the edge of the basin, then
it must be loaded onto gurneys with a
shovel, and finally, it must be spread onto the draining area to dry. Through
the solinari’s shoulders, elbows, and back, between 120 to 300 tons of salt are
extracted each season. Piran salt is more expensive due to its quality, rarity,
manual production, and traditional extraction methods, but worth every cent
because of its superiority and unique taste.
The factory expects, as a whole, to process 1,500 tons over the course of a season. This is an unbelievably labor intensive process. When a solinaro is in the groove, and weather permitting, he can harvest up to 4,000-5,000 kg a day.
Close up of abandoned historic salt-worker's home |
View from the Adriatic Sea Combination saltpans, moorings, harbor |
Wearing wooden platform sandals since salt is so corrosive to any other type of shoes |
Using a wood 'gaver' (toothless rake) to make salt piles as it becomes more and more concentrated through evaporation |
Piles of salt lined along special rails Ready to be picked up |
Everything here still done manually Tracks - the only nod to modernity - started in 19th century |
Shoveling salt in special wooden gurney on wheels |
Seen from above for perspective |
Salt gets on absolutely everything |
Piran Salt’s Distinction: A PDO Stamp
Awarded the esteemed Protected Designation of Origin
(PDO) label in 2005, Piran Salt carries a heritage spanning over seven
centuries. The entire journey of Piran
Salt is a tribute to nature’s orchestration – the sun, the winds, the
relentless sea, and the dedication of salt artisans. The result is a culinary
masterpiece.
Light and capable of delivering unforgettable flavors,
this salt earned certification, meeting rigorous standards and joining the
ranks of renowned European Protected Foods alongside Champagne,
Parmigiano-Reggiano, Parmesan, and Istrian olive oil.
As a gourmet’s delight, Piran Salt remains unrefined
and unground. Its crystals encapsulate a rich mineral blend and the essence of
the mother water. These crystals impart a flavor that goes beyond mere
saltiness, offering opulence and full-bodied richness. It’s a treasure for
connoisseurs who appreciate tradition and pure gastronomy.
While sea salt is obtained directly from seawater, Piran salt is obtained from brine, where natural processes of mineral concentration are more intense. This gives Piran salt a unique mineral composition and a milder taste compared to regular sea salt.
The revered fleur de sel is known for being one of the
saltiest. It is not a cooking salt and should be lightly sprinkled on dishes
before consumption. In this rawest form,
it is la crème de la crème of condiments, with nothing in it but itself, no
anticoagulants, not the product of extensive handling and exposure, as salt
sometimes is when mined. This is just sea water minus the water, and they look
like beautiful, oversized snowflakes.
Marine saltpans can be found along the coasts of the
entire Mediterranean basin, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Black Sea. There are
some 155 saltpans of various categories in eighteen Mediterranean countries
nowadays, with ninety of them still producing salt and sixty-four inactive or
abandoned. Only two other saltpans in the Mediterranean have the status of
protected areas: those in Cyprus and Italy.
Products made by Piran Salt: fleur de sel, various salt mixes (with herbs or dried vegetables) and chocolate with salt flowers. Thalassotherapy can also be enjoyed with the salty water or mud from the saltpans.
Salt before it gets cleaned up, sorted, packaged Used for cooking or for spa treatments |
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